username

American  

[yoo-zer-naym] / ˈju zərˌneɪm /

noun

Computers.

• usernames
  plural

1. Also called sign-in name, login name, sign-on name, logon name. a unique sequence of characters used to identify a user and allow access to a computer system, computer network, or online account.

2. the part of an email address before the @ sign.

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username British  

/ ˈjuːzəˌneɪm /

noun

1. computing a name that someone uses for identification purposes when logging onto a computer, using chatrooms, or as part of his or her e-mail address

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• usernames
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of username

First recorded in 1970–75; user ¹ ( def. ) + name ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

username usernames

One cybersecurity expert expressed concern that such a vast breach could have occurred based on one compromised username and password.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Instead, block the scammer and report the phone number or social-media username to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Meta needs to explain the implication of the changes - including whether regulators can link crimes committed by a username to a person behind it, the blogger adds.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

India has asked Meta to hold off launching its username feature on WhatsApp in the world's most populous country, citing concerns over fraud and impersonation, media reports said Thursday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Phone Friend was pulled up on my screen— their username was EyesOnTheSky_Traveler—but I hadn’t added them to my friend list yet.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

The rollout to three billion global users of WhatsApp worldwide is expected in the coming months, allowing people to remove or change their usernames at any time.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Earlier this month, India said it believed usernames might increase online fraud, impersonation and other crimes by allowing criminals to contact potential victims without disclosing their phone numbers.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

"There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames... and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not," the English-language daily quoted a senior government official as saying.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

The plaintiffs’ counsel also tested Snap’s “Quick Add” feature in 2023 and found that many of the usernames “generated by Snap’s recommendation algorithm appeared on their face to belong to predatory users,” the lawsuit said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

I look at her cell, and yes, there are some names I recognize, because they have some ego-driven usernames that they mix in with the instrument they play.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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